Devotions

What can God’s people do to move the heart of the Lord in these perilous times? Is the church powerless to do anything? Are we to sit and wait for Christ’s return or are we called to take drastic action of some kind? When all around us the world is trembling, with men’s hearts failing them for fear, are we called to take up spiritual weapons and do battle with the adversary? Surely Christ’s followers have a role in these dark times, but what are we supposed to do? Are we to fall in line with the rest of the world, grabbing for our piece of the pie? No, never!

During the time of the prophet Joel, a day of darkness approached Israel such as had never been seen in history. The prophet even cried, “Alas for the Day! For the day of the Lord is at hand” (Joel 1:15). Joel’s counsel to Israel in that dark house was, “‘Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning … Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness’” (Joel 2:12-13).

Here was God’s call to the church: “Don’t be discouraged or give in to despair. You are not to believe the devil’s lies that there is no hope.” Instead, according to Joel, the people’s cry to the Lord was to be, “Lord, stop this reproach on your name. Don’t let your church be mocked any longer.” And the Lord replied, “Even now, when you have pushed me out of your society and mercy seems impossible, when humankind has mocked my warnings and fear and gloom are covering the land — even now, I urge you to come back to me and show the world my mercy.”

Satan wants the church to think there is no hope but God comes to us through this word from Joel: “There is hope and mercy — even now. I am kind and slow to anger and now is the time for you to turn to me in prayer.” It is time to turn to the Lord in prayer as never before!

It seems the whole world is trembling right now over current events. Almost every day we wake up to another development that shakes our foundation, it seems. Within the last year the earth has experienced record-breaking floods, devastating fires that are wiping out entire towns, hurricanes, earthquakes. And then we have the rapid, indisputable moral decline of our society.

To the secular world, it must seem that no one is in charge. Nonbelievers are becoming convinced that no solution is left, that everything is spinning into chaos — but God’s people know this is not true. We know there is no reason to fear, because the Bible reminds us again and again that the Lord has everything under control. Not one single thing happens in the world without his knowledge and governance.

The psalmist writes, “The kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28). Likewise, the prophet Isaiah declares to the world, “Come near, you nations, to hear; and heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it” (Isaiah 34:1). He is saying, “Listen, nations, and give me your ear. I want to tell you something important about the Creator of the world.”

Isaiah states that when God’s indignation is aroused against nations and their armies, it is the Lord himself who delivers them. “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales … All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless … It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers” (Isaiah 40: 15, 17, 22).

Isaiah counsels God’s people, who are battered and troubled by world events, “Look up to the sky, to the glorious heavens. Behold the millions of stars placed there and remember that your God created and named every one. Are you not more precious to him than they? So, fear not!”

How can you doubt God’s concern for you in your times of crisis? His Word is full of promises and hope, so cling to Him no matter what. 

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). This marvelous word from Jesus had to amaze the disciples. In their eyes, it was an almost unbelievable promise: Christ’s peace was to become their peace. These twelve men had marveled at the peace they had witnessed in Jesus for the past three years. Their Master was always calm, never afraid, never ruffled by any circumstance. And now Jesus was promising them this very same peace!

Then Jesus added, “Not as the world gives do I give to you” (same verse). This was not the peace of a numb, zoned-out society nor the temporary peace of the very rich who try to purchase peace of mind with material things. No, this was the very peace of Christ himself, a peace that surpasses all human understanding.

The timing of this gift of peace was very important to the disciples because they were on the threshold of the greatest trial they would every experience. Christ was about to leave them, and the news of his imminent departure came as a great shock. They had looked forward to the day when the Lord would set up his kingdom on earth and make them all rulers. Now they had to face the fact that he was about to be given into the hands of evil men and killed.

“I will rise again,” the Master assured them, “and the Holy Spirit will guide you through what you are going to face.” At this point, all that the disciples had was a promise from Christ of his peace.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit has always been to reveal Christ to his people. In John 16:14, he says, in short, “The Holy Spirit will speak to you of me and of my ways.” Simply put, his peace comes to us as the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us.

When you received Christ, you received a measure of his Spirit and the Spirit’s work continues in you to this day.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).

Peter says that it is necessary for us to go through trials for a little while. I wish I could make all the troubles in my life last for just a little while, don’t you? But Peter is not talking about just a short time, he is saying that while we are on this earth, we cannot escape fiery trials that cause us stress and anxiety. While we are still in this body we are not to think it unusual that we suffer. God knows and is actually going to do something powerful in the midst of our trials. 

“In this you rejoice” (verse 6). Why would anyone rejoice in trials and tribulations? In the Greek the word rejoice as used here actually means to leap for joy. The same word is used in the book of Acts when a crippled man was healed after Peter laid hands on him (see Acts 3:9). But rejoicing while suffering defies logic and can only be reconciled in light of understanding what the Lord is causing to happen in your life. The three Hebrew men were thrown into a furnace of fire but instead of being consumed by the fire, they were brought out in perfect condition — to the glory of God. Even the king was impressed at their steadfast faith in their God (see Daniel 3:20-29).

We enjoy reading these testimonies, but God is the same today as he was then. He goes with us through all our trials and brings us through in victory if we trust him completely. 

As a true follower of Christ in this hour, you will need to contend with all kinds of voices around you — and you will fight in your mind. Every saint, with no exceptions, will engage in this secret war. We see in the Scriptures that even King David experienced this battle of the mind.

“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me … But You, O Lord, are a shield for me; my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah. 

^“I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! … Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people” (Psalm 3:1, 3, 5, 6 and 8).

David wrote this psalm during a season of struggling with a sense of past failure and present weakness. He had made a terrible mistake in his life — adultery and even murder — and the consequences were dire. How difficult it must have been for David to fully embrace the fact that he was still on the victory side — that God was proud of him and the lineage of Christ would still flow through him.

We can all look back on our lives and see things we wish we had done better. Our failures and weaknesses can often instill in us a sense that we are far from where we should be, and the enemy will taunt us because of it.

The apostle Paul described a specific season in his journey when this happened: “We were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears” (2 Corinthians 7:5). In other words, voices of mocking and cursing had produced fear within his heart.

God called you to be more than a conqueror — indeed, you are to be a song of praise to His name in the earth.

Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 at the invitation of the founding pastor, David Wilkerson, and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001.